Fall
by empurple
Summary: Not everything that falls, breaks. Especially if you catch it. And, sometimes, when Gilbert thinks about it, maybe being sure of something doesn't really mean you can lose it. He was just far too young to understand it the last time. BTT: Frali, Gilicia, Pruhun, Spamano and some other rare pairings. A Gakuen! Hetalia fanfic. Mostly fluff and silly banter. More warnings inside.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** This was bound to come out, sooner or later. Written for my rp partner.

* * *

**Warnings**: Fluff, romance and a bit of humour. The BTT gets into trouble, and of course, the Student Council does its best to intervene.

**General knowledge** (especially for those who haven't read Ocean Blue or A Few Good Men): Alicia Aragon is the representation of the Crown of Aragon, Spain; now known as the region, Aragon. She and Francis were together in their earlier years in World University but have now gone their separate ways – but not separate enough. She has now, however, caught the eye of our favourite albino. And he never takes no for an answer.

**Head-cannon**: The Student Council is composed of the following –

President – Arthur Kirkland; Vice-President – Francis Bonnefoy; Secretary – Antonio Fernandez-Carriedo

Treasurer – Vash Zwingli (MIA); Regional Representative (Asia and the Pacific) – Li Xiao Chun (Leon)

Regional Representative (European States) – Alicia Aragón

Also, Alicia's sister, Clara Catalonia, makes her debut appearance in this fanfic.

* * *

"You three again, eh?" The Student Council President sighed, and ran a hand through his dirty-blond hair. Arthur looked at the three offenders before him, raising an inquisitive eyebrow, "Charges?" He asked the young woman standing beside his desk.

"Gilbert Beilschmidt," The albino grinned toothily, "Punched the lockers, destroying University Property." He scoffed, but didn't deny it.

"Francis Bonnefoy," Francis flew a kiss at the girl, who rolled her amber eyes, "Flirted with the Chemistry professor."

"Oh come now, I'm sure you both already know that-"

"Shut it frog. And?"

"Antonio Fernandez-Carriedo." The Spaniard scratched the back of his head, "… Tried serenading his lover in class."

"Come on, _hermana_, it was just one-"

"I still don't understand how the three of you can do this." Arthur rubbed his temples, "I already put you on probation last month, and the very week I put you off, you do something crazy like this _again_." He emphasized the word miserably

"I know I want to do something crazy with you~" Francis was still looking at the girl, but coughed when Antonio's glare hit him.

"You know that I hate it when you do that to my sister and-"

"Alicia." This time, Arthur called the girl and she looked up at the Englishman. Arthur considered her for a moment, biting his lip and tucking stray strands of her hair behind her ears, "I'm sorry to do this to you, pet," he said, "But I'll put you on watch for this trio for the next two weeks."

Something heavy fell in the pit of the young woman's stomach, but she forced a smile and nodded, "Yes sir." She said, "It's no problem, I can do that…"

_There's __**no way**__ I'd be able to properly do that…_

* * *

**Chapter One**

Two weeks' worth of probation and a baby-sitter, that's what he gets for doing something measly like punching the lockers. Well, he had to admit, he pretty much made the steel doors crumble, but that wasn't his fault! It wasn't like he _wanted_ for Roderich and Eliza to pass by him in the hall. And it wasn't like Eliza completely ignored him and he got annoyed because they used to be the best of friends, no of course not. There's always a perfectly logical reason to him punching the nearest non-living thing (well, it would have been a living thing but Francis disappeared to flirt with a teacher right before he felt the urge to punch someone) and getting (thankfully) not detention, but a two-week sentence to probation.

So, Gilbert sighed as he turned to Francis, who was busy smiling with a stupid, love-struck expression upon his face. He was looking over the albino's shoulder, so Gilbert figured he'd see what it was that was so interesting.

Strangely enough, it was the young girl that Arthur had been ordering around. Antonio was petting her head, probably muttering a few words of encouragement. She shyly gave the Spaniard a hug, making the Prussian chuckle, before Antonio walked back to them, "A new girl? Do I tell Lovi?" he teased.

Antonio blinked, then laughed, "Ah, _amigo_, you're always so funny," he said, grinning, "That's my sister."

Sister? "I didn't know you had a sister." Gilbert said, eyes furrowing. He couldn't get a good look at her because she kept turning her back at them. Probably on purpose, "Does she hate us?"

"No…" Antonio was looking at Francis, whose eyes still haven't left the young woman, "… But Francis is making her uncomfortable."

If the Frenchman heard him, he showed no signs of it. However, in annoyance, Gilbert prodded him in the side, hard. And the walls of the blond's imagination went tumbling down, "Ow! _Mon dieu!_" he glared at his best friend, but because of it, the young girl turned.

She looked at them through glistening amber eyes, hidden behind a pair of rimmed reading glasses. She chuckled a little, making a hint of pink colour rise in her cheeks. She bit her lower lip as she watched them, and the albino could note how adorable she looked as she did. It was even almost as though she glowed. She was still eyeing them curiously when Antonio pulled the Prussian by the collar, glares directed at him as well as their eyes met.

"My. _Sister._" The Spaniard repeated.

Gilbert only nodded and brushed him off, "I don't shag people unlike Mr. Francey-pants over there, so don't get so tied up about it." But he stole a glance at the young girl again, and she flushed under his gaze this time, before disappearing under her curly black hair as she looked back down at her paperwork.

That was the time that Gilbert noticed that he had been the only one looking at her, and it had caused her to become rather shy.

The trio was finally heading out of the Student Council room when Francis nudged Gilbert, a devilish grin etched upon his face, "Look who's heading this way~" he said in a sing-song voice, "And alone, might I add?"

The albino's crimson eyes shifted left and right down the hallway, and found that the lovely Hungarian, Elizabeta Héderváry, was walking towards their direction. And indeed, she didn't have the aristocratic Austrian along with her. However, before either of the two romantics could get the Prussian to speak to the girl, he fumed and stormed right back into the Student Council Room without another word.

It wasn't like he was angry with her, but more of, he still was angry at himself. Had he only gathered the courage sooner, he wouldn't be dwelling that way in misery. But nobody can change the past.

As kids, he and Eliza were the best of friends. He had very poor skills in recognizing who was a boy and who was a girl, but even after he found out that Eliza was a girl (who often wore make clothing), he still wanted to spend time with her, because to him, it didn't matter if she acted like a boy, or could beat him up, or had a heavier sword. Growing up, he began to realize that he was developing feelings for the Hungarian and she seemed to be reciprocating his feelings. However, she began to trade her trousers for skirts; her shirts, for dresses; and, her swords for baskets with bread and flowers. She began to lose the fire in her eyes and they began to dim down to a flickering flame. But he loved her, oh how he loved her. But the day that he finally managed to tell her, what did she say?

"_I'm sorry, Gilbert, but… I can't."_

She **can't**. It had never been a question of whether she wanted to or not. The fact was, she didn't have the ability to. And why? Because she agreed to be betrothed to one of Gilbert's brothers, Roderich Edelstein, that's why. And the truth was Gilbert couldn't hate either of them because of it – because he knew it wasn't their fault. Honestly? It wasn't his either. It was just a matter of wrong time and a wrong circumstance.

So, with all these thoughts running in his head, he groaned miserably and sat down at the opposite edge of the meeting table, slightly startling his only other companion. The President emerged from the inner room, and Arthur was slightly surprised at the return of one out of the trio. He raised a massive eyebrow, but decided against saying anything except to the young girl who was still scribbling off into her paperwork at the other end of the table, "Are you about to finish?" he asked.

"Not quite, I'm sorry," the Romantic replied, "After the newspaper club promised the visibility project, I have to make sure that appropriate measures will be taken about what will be visible to the school and what will stay secure as Student Council information only."

"That's my girl," the Englishman said proudly, giving a pat on the girl's head, "Don't forget to go back after free period, or the PE teacher will have my head." And after looking warningly at the Prussian, he left the office as well.

Gilbert now raised an eyebrow at the girl who still attempted to ignore him to the best of his abilities. But he could see the way her nose scrunched up when she made an error as she scratched out words and symbols, and he restrained a grin before, "Your name," he started to ask, "… Is Alicia, isn't it?"

Her pen stopped writing and her head slowly turned to him, "Yes. Yes it is." She gulped a little, but decided to continue, "And you're Gilbert, one of my brother's best friends. You're Prussian."

"Hey, you know me?" he asked, a slight gleam of happiness shining in his eyes, "How?"

"You-" She paused and cut herself off, deciding that she didn't want to start off that way, "You've been to my house before. I live with Antonio."

He looked at her incredulously, "No, you can't have," he said, taking a good look at her, "I would've seen you."

"Maybe you did, and you just didn't notice me." She argued, obviously not liking how insistent he was.

"I would notice you," He said, staring at her now, "Because you're beautiful."

Well. That shut her up.

* * *

In all honesty, Gilbert didn't know what made him say it. Above all things, what he said was true – he thought that she was beautiful. And he wasn't the type of person to deny himself the pleasure of things that were true. Golden-coloured eyes that are often hidden behind locks of long and curly, black hair, and with sun-kissed skin that glowed celestially, it was almost as though he was hit by lightning at the sudden reality that she was, in reality, his type. The fact that she had a 'no-shit' attitude to boot was a big bonus, and he grinned as he thought about it. He thought about her. And he thought that, maybe, he wanted to get to know her a bit more. He even considered getting to even more trouble just so that he could be brought into the Student Council room to see her again – but of course, he decided that, with the reputation he already had, he should go with the safer way of talking to her.

So he walked over to his best friend as they headed towards their next class.

"I don't understand why you'd skip History, you're good at it~" The bubbly Spaniard exclaimed, but the Prussian rolled his eyes.

"I'll pass the test without all the things the old man discusses, but hey Toni, I want to ask you something." Gilbert said, and his statement made emerald eyes blink twice at him, "I want to ask your sister out."

All of a sudden, Antonio's eyes narrowed. The atmosphere turned cold, and as though the rest of the students felt it, they vacated the area. It just so happened that Alicia and Francis were heading out of a classroom together when Antonio's fist collided with the albino's face and he was sent five feet off from where he was standing. Then, the Spaniard huffed and left without another word.

Well. Maybe the Student Council room was a safer choice than what he had expected.

"_Dios mio!_" After seeing what had occurred, Alicia pushed her binders into the Frenchman's hands and ran towards the Prussian, whose nose was oozing a thick, red liquid. She took a yellow handkerchief from her pocket and gently dabbed against the Prussian's face, "A-Are… Are you all right?" She looked genuinely worried.

Gilbert couldn't help but see a few freckles on her cheeks as she bent close enough for him to touch. He felt a rush of heat against his cheeks, "You're even more beautiful up close."

At first, Alicia pulled away, looking at him, nonplussed. But then a soft chuckle escaped her lips, and she turned to the Frenchman, who pursed his lips as he watched the scene, "Could you tell the teacher that I'm escorting Gilbert Beilschmidt to the Hospital Wing, please?"

Francis muttered under his breath but allowed Alicia to bring the Prussian all by herself. Gilbert didn't complain. And as she held an ice-pack against his face, she eyed the Prussian, "… Why are you saying all this to me?" she asked him.

Gilbert took hold of her wrist and gently set her hand down upon his lap as they sat beside each other on one of the beds, "Don't you think it's true?" he asked her back.

She considered him for a moment, her amber eyes looking into his crimson ones, "There are a lot more prettier girls out there," she said, after a while, "Smarter, sweeter-"

"But that's them. I want to get to know you." Gilbert really wanted a filter for his words now. He was starting to sound really cliché, really romantic, which really wasn't how he usually was. But maybe, it was good.

Alicia chuckled softly, "We can be friends," she said, taking the ice-pack from the hand he was holding so she could feel the warmth of his palms, "But you wouldn't want me, even Francis didn't fight for me."

"Oh?" That piece of information was new to him, "You were one of Francey-pants' one-night stands?" He couldn't believe it.

She fumed at the idea, "I'll have you know I had an actual relationship with that idiot… Once." She added. Gilbert wasn't sure if it was melancholy that made her say it, but there was a hint of disappointment that told him it didn't end the way she had wanted it to end, and that Francis did something to make her feel that way.

"You deserve better than that."

And right at his words, tears streamed down her face. At first, Gilbert panicked: one, because he had never had a girl cry in front of him because of anything he had said before; two, if ever there was ever a girl who had, it was actually a boy (who was Francis), and he gave him a flower which made the stupid blond happy again, and; three, if somebody (who was tan and Spanish) walked into the Hospital Wing and saw that she was crying, he would get more than a punch in the face.

However, Alicia threw her hands around him in a tight embrace, which got him slightly flustered, and even more panicked. He had barely touched a girl before. The girl he thought he touched, wasn't actually a girl (again, Francis). But the boy he had touched, wasn't actually a boy (who was Eliza), so it had maybe occurred only once or twice before.

But this was a poor girl, who sounded broken and beaten up by fate, and needed consolation and reconfirmation. So, rather nervously, Gilbert wrapped his arms around her as well, gently rubbing her back, "H-Hey," he said, chuckling softly, "What's all this about?"

"N-Nothing." She pulled away and sniffled, cheeks flushed pink and tears still in her eyes, "I just… I guess I needed to hear that."

The albino smiled again, reaching out to wipe her tears tenderly, "You're beautiful. And I'll say it over and over again until you believe me."

She laughed a little, a melodious sound, which pleased Gilbert more than he would admit. Then, she offered him a hand, which he raised an eyebrow at, "Let's start from something basic," she said with a smile, "I'm Alicia Fernandez-Carriedo. Most people know me as Alicia Aragon, or Kingdom of Aragon. But I'd love it if you'd call me Alicia."

Gilbert grinned as he took her hand and shook it lightly, "I'm Gilbert Beilschmidt, Prussia, or _Preußen_," he said to her, "But for you, Gilbert will be fine. Or Gil, if you want it shorter."

"Gil." She repeated, smiling warmly at him now.

He was thankful he stopped himself from talking at that moment. Because it was really good to hear her voice, saying his name. It sounded sweet, almost better than how anyone else would say it.

"Gil…" she said again, and this time he almost thought he imagined it, "Gil?"

He snapped out of his thoughts, "Hm?"

"… My brother broke your nose. Would you like me to snap it back?" She asked worriedly.

After that, he had an epiphany: it would be more painful not to have Alicia in his reach than for her to be putting back his nose into its proper place upon his face. And that was quite painful.

* * *

Gilbert Beilschmidt. _Prussia._

Of course he was her brother's best friend, there was no way she could forget about him. He always invited Antonio out to go riding in the country-side with his horse, a gallant white steed. And because her brother wasn't a horse-person, she sometimes (well, most of the time) rode out instead of him, on a black horse that was just as fast. He was always challenging her to a race. She would always hold back a bit to let him win – because she knew it made him happy. But she never knew that all those years of hiding from his eyes would turn into this. Would turn into him casting glances at her during Economics, when there was a shortage of fault, and an increase of supply of butterflies in her stomach.

She tried to shake him out of her thoughts. He wouldn't be the first among her brother's charming friends to make her swoon.

"Stop doing that."

She felt herself pulled by the back of her blouse, and she found herself face-to-face against a wall. When she turned, her auburn-haired sister was glaring at her, and holding the books she had left behind, "Honestly. I thought you stopped doing that when you stopped dating the frog."

"I've had enough with the dating, Clara, you know that." But her face showed hints of pink, just at the idea of dating Gilbert.

The Catalan woman narrowed her eyes, "So there _is_ somebody!" she said, "Don't tell me – it's that albino kid that hangs around _hermano_ a lot, isn't it?"

"Clara, calm down-" Alicia tried to say, but her sister towed her away and down the hallway.

"You know what he's like!" she exclaimed, groaning in frustration, "He's trouble, he's toying with you, plus he doesn't even follow the proper dress code!" It almost made Alicia laugh. She actually let the Prussian get away with the minor offense of always wearing his red jacket instead of the official blue ones. She thought it suited him better and brought out his eyes.

"Hello?" Clara, once again, snapped her out of her fantasies, then sighed, "Tell me – what did the git say to you that made you start to like him?"

"I _do not _like him," Alicia insisted, but when her sister's green eyes turned to her, she bit her lower lip, "He, uh… He said that I was beautiful."

And Clara was speechless, "Gilbert Beilschmidt," she started, "… He said that?"

"Yep."

"About you?"

"Yeah."

"Like, the same Gilbert who used to be fawning over Eliza all the time?"

Alicia bit her lower-lip again here, but nodded and stopped walking so that her sister could see the serious expression on her face, "Yeah. Gil said that."

She didn't know what else there was to say. So, instead of waiting for any other words from her sister, Alicia merely walked away.

* * *

At first, she didn't know why it should matter. But then again, it did matter. To her, greatly, in fact. Especially since part of the reason why she was afraid to admit that Gilbert gave her something to feel was the fact that the last time someone made her feel that way, he didn't know how to, say, 'handle with care'.

Francis Bonnefoy could be as romantic as romance could go. He gave the best roses, the sweetest chocolate and planned the most brilliant dates. However, his level of emotional attachment was so questionable that Alicia refused to do anything inside the bedroom with him. And somehow, this challenged him. Finally, when she got fed up, she asked why he acted that way, and he said that the only other woman he loved with all his heart was the only one he didn't get to bring along into the bed with him. And because of that, Alicia felt like a piece of furniture, the same as all those others that he flirted with, but never special enough.

But of course, to Francis, nothing could be farther from the truth. But his comparison of Jeanne to her broke her heart.

She walked out of the hallways and out in the back where the fresh air greeted her. From the back gate, she could see some of the European Nations having a game of football. The two Italians, Arthur, Ludwig, Francis, and even her brother was there, playing. Gilbert was present as the goalie of one team, and seeing him made her lips tug into a small smile.

No.

She wasn't going to do that again.

_But he's different._

That was what she thought the last time too.

Being at war with herself, she walked down the sides of the football field, muttering to herself angrily, and sighing in frustration.

She knew that Gilbert Beilschmidt wasn't Francis. She knew that he could be completely different. And maybe, he was exactly what she needed and exactly what she had been looking for. It doesn't help that the man was also physically attractive. But who was she to be noticed by the great Prussia? She wasn't anyone to Francis, so she certainly wasn't going to believe that she was beautiful just because an idiot with white hair said she was.

_But he's a cute idiot. _

Stop it!

_And he went straight to Antonio to ask for your-_

"Look out!"

And when she stopped to see what had happened, she saw the black-and-white ball heading straight towards her. She froze where she stood and was unable to fathom if her thoughts should continue moving or she should try to move her legs to avoid getting hit. But she tried. And they wouldn't budge. Almost as though they didn't want to.

Then, she saw a spur of white, and before the ball came bouncing in, she hit the ground – and it wasn't as hard as she thought.

That was when she realized that it hadn't been the ground that she hit, but a person, and Gilbert groaned as he looked at her worriedly, "Are… Are you okay?"

She looked astounded, "Gil, you were half-way across the field!"

"I ran over here to get you." He said nonchalantly, almost as though about twenty-five meters could be covered in that span of time. "I didn't want you to get hurt."

She didn't know what made him do it – if that was honestly what made him do it. But somehow, to her, being there in his arms felt right, felt wonderful, in fact. But she didn't want to admit it. So she sat up, but smiled warmly at the albino who had saved her from getting knocked out by a foul ball. Then, she leaned over to kiss him softly upon the cheek.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **A long-awaited continuation. I am starting to get back in the business of writing. I hope this is good practice.

* * *

**Chapter Two**

His whole face turned red – and with skin as pale as his, it was more than evident.

Maybe, she realized what she had just done, and she turned just as red too. And but her tan skin hid the blush from everyone except Gilbert himself: "Oh, um… That was…" But she couldn't straighten her thoughts enough to give a solidified answer. Behind him, Gilbert could hear Antonio's heavy breathing and just how much his best friend was fuming. Perhaps, Alicia noticed this too, because she looked up, then looked back at him worriedly, "D-Don't worry," she said, "I… I got this."

Okay. Cool. Of course he didn't worry. A girl just kissed him. On the cheek, yes, but she kissed him. And of course that's happened several times before, right? Wrong. He had never gone as far as touching a girl's hair, so there also wasn't much of getting kissed by one. The last girl who he thought had kissed him wasn't exactly a girl (again, Francis) and had only kissed his injured knee because he fell off a tree and cried. If the girly blond wasn't so sissy when he was younger, Gilbert wouldn't even think that he was a girl. So his cheeks were still bright red, and the place where Alicia had kissed him was extra warm. He groaned miserably – he was starting to get a headache with all these thoughts that were pouring out.

"_Mon dieu!" _The Frenchman was first to help his friend up while Alicia and Antonio spoke straight in their native tongue somewhere before them, "That's a pretty bad wound you got, _mon ami_~"

He didn't even notice it, but it seemed like the Prussian's arm had scraped the pavement while saving Alicia from the soccer ball. His temples were slightly grazed too, "Oh." He didn't even act like it was painful, "It isn't really…"

Alicia took one good look at it and frowned, "Oh no, I'm so sorry," she apologized immediately, "Come on, I'll bring you to the Hospital Wing."

"He doesn't need help, he scraped his arm, not break his leg." Antonio reclaimed, obviously annoyed that the Prussian was getting attention from his sister, of all people.

"Let them go."

The authoritative voice was none-other than the Student Council President himself, Arthur Kirkland, "Let the lass bring him to the Infirmary. The bloke bloody needs it." But there was a glare towards the Prussian's direction, "Nothing funny, you hear me?"

There was a glare from Antonio's direction, and the albino could only nod. And so, once again, he was towed to the direction of the infirmary.

* * *

"You're insane, you are."

She was gently dabbing some antiseptic upon the Prussian's arm before taking a bandage to wrap it with. She ignored his comments, but her cheeks still looked flushed. "Y-You don't do that to me," she managed to choke out, "You don't do that, and you don't say things like that about me. Especially not when Antonio and Arthur are around."

"You're pointing this at me?" Gilbert demanded, "What about you?!" His cheeks were still bright red, "Y-You just went out and k-kissed me!"

"On the cheek!" she reclaimed, cheeks flushing crimson, "It's just…Still…" she said, more quietly now, "What you did was…" However, she didn't continue her statement. She didn't, or perhaps, she couldn't.

"That is no excuse for you to _just_ kiss me." He stopped her hands from binding his wounds momentarily, looking intently at her, "Tell me the truth." He had a certain commanding tone. But with his voice soft, it could hardly be taken that way.

She took one look into his eyes and she sighed, "Let's not do this, okay, Gil?" she said, expression unreadable, "Why can't I just be one of those other girls that have probably kissed you?"

"What the hell are you talking about?" This time, his grip on her hand tightened, "Is that the kind of person you think I am? I'll have you know that I have _**never**_ been kissed before."

She looked at him, brows furrowed, "B-But with my brother and Francis," she argued, "Y-You're always talking-"

"Yeah, sure," he rolled his eyes, "I've said some stuff for show. But have you actually ever seen me locking-lips with anyone?"

She thought about it.

Before she could say anything, he tore his gaze away, "That's not part of my culture. I don't… Share intimate moments like that so loosely."

Soon, both of them were wearing the same flushed cheeks, "G-Gil, I-"

"No," he released her from his grip, then looked at her, "Don't apologize. I… I liked it." _More than I intended to, believe me._

And across her tan skin, Alicia's cheeks turned even redder, "… You did?"

He nodded slowly, "… Take responsibility," he asked of her, flushing a vibrant shade of red, "C-Can… Can we walk home together today?"

For the longest time, she just looked at him. Then, out of nowhere, her cheeks pulled into a smile and she began to laugh. In between her fits of giggles, she began to bind his arm again. However, Gilbert looked terribly confused: did he say something weird? Something wrong?

Finally, she looked at him, "It isn't you, don't worry," she immediately said, addressing the look on his face, "It's just… I've waited so long for something as simple as that." She smiled warmly at him. His heart skipped a beat – _that smile._

"So… yes. Okay." She eventually chuckled and looked at him, "I will walk home with you."

* * *

"Family?"

"I live mostly with Ludwig, but we're staying at the compound with the other Germanic states right now. It was the house that I raised him in. You?"

"In the Romantic's hacienda, with Antonio. Lovino stays with us often, too, so he's a special addition. My sister stays at the compound with the other states. She's like the head of the family there."

"Cool."

The promise to walk home was not disappointing: they walked slowly, savoring each other's presence, answering each other's questions, and walked side by side, fingertips brushing at the motion. Gilbert gulped: he wasn't used to things like this. And the way her eyes twinkled when she talked made him notice all the little details in her face. Her lashes curled, her eyes had a smidge of green in them, and she licked her lips once before she answered any questions. After a while, he stopped in his tracks.

"I'm sorry, Alicia. I'm not used to this." He admitted.

She stopped abruptly, brows furrowed, looking at him, "What?"

"All… This." He gestured at her, then at himself, cheeks flushing, "It's… I don't…" How does he say she's the first girl he was interested in that had some vague interest in him back? How does he say that he's more bark than bite? And how in the world does he say that he wasn't sure with how to go about the entire romance-and-dating scene?

"Do… Do you want to hold my hand?"

She said it so softly, he almost thought she was joking. It took him a while to realize that her cheeks were tinting pink as she held out her hand for him to take. His heart skipped a beat.

"Yeah." He said with a small grin before taking her hand in his. It wasn't even intertwined, he couldn't bring himself to do it. But his hands were clasped around her smaller, slightly calloused ones too, which made him wonder if she did any fighting in her younger years. When he turned to look at her, he could note that the pink in her cheeks were rising to a shade of red, and she couldn't look at him.

Instead, she gave his hands a small, gentle, squeeze.

So all he did was hold it tightly back.

They shared that content silence right before they reached a fork in the road. Finally, she looked at him, "Our house is on the left." She said slowly.

He nodded, "Yeah, I know. I go there too, remember?" It made her chuckle.

"And yet you say you've never seen me." She said, "How nice."

"Hey, being an albino gives me terrible eyesight." He replied, in defense.

She raised an eyebrow, "Maybe that's why you keep saying I'm beautiful."

"No." He scowled, "You're beautiful even when I saw you up close."

It rendered her silent once more. To that, the Prussian slowly added, "I'll, uh… I'll walk you to your door."

She didn't say anything more.

Once they were at the front porch, she turned to him, "I guess this is it." She said softly, finally looking into the Prussian's crimson eyes. He could see that she didn't want him to leave. To be honest, he didn't want to either.

"We can walk back home tomorrow, too." He said with a grin, hoping it would lighten her spirits.

She smiled widely at the idea, "That'll be nice. No football practice?" she asked.

"Nah," he said, "Tomorrow's our rest day." He gave her hand a squeeze, "Besides. I'll also see you during Economics, Literature, Algebra-"

"And History, if you're going to show up for class – I think you have a reason to, now."

Both of them froze. Gilbert turned his head to see one of his best friends, Antonio, looking at them, expression unreadable.

Alicia didn't pull her hands away, "_H-Hermano_, we were just-"

"Come inside." Antonio turned, but then looked back at them.

"Both of you."

* * *

It seemed that Antonio didn't take it too well.

To be honest, the Prussian was almost sure he was going to get even more hurt (with Antonio's tendency to be violent when being protective), but he didn't expect to be in the Romantic's living room, frozen in front of his best friend. Neither of them said anything, until Alicia brought in a tray with three coffee mugs.

"Honestly, _hermano._"

She placed it down on the center table, handed one to Antonio, then a black coffee to Gilbert, who looked astonished, "How did you know?" he asked, but she merely smiled in reply, hiding behind her own coffee mug.

"My. _Sister_." Antonio repeated again.

This time, the Prussian groaned, "All right Antonio, I get it. Alicia is your sister." He said, looking at the Spaniard, "But I'm not doing anything bad to her, in fact, all of today, I think all I've done is try to get to know her, and even walked her home."

"I know you, _amigo-"_ Antonio started to say, but the Prussian shook his head.

"You know me. Exactly," he started to say, looking at Alicia this time, "So why not?"

"You're telling me this now, when just this morning, you punched lockers because you were jealous that Roderich was walking with Eliza?" demanded the Spaniard. Gilbert couldn't answer. Alicia looked down at her lap. The Prussian hoped she didn't think about it too much. And so, Antonio continued, "I don't know if Francis already told you about what happened between him and my sister, but I assure you, I didn't like it one bit. Why did you think I spent last summer ignoring him?"

"I'm not Francis." Gilbert said.

"I'm saying you can make mistakes." Antonio's gaze was stern, and uncharacteristic. Gilbert thought the Spaniard had left it back in his sailing days, "I don't want my sister to be one of them."

"She could never be!" The albino didn't know when his voice had started to rise, but it did: "All I want is a chance!"

"Gil."

Alicia looked at him, then reached out to take his hand into hers gently. She held it warmly, and it calmed him down. He didn't know how she was able to do it: one look absolutely captured him. His heart suddenly stopped beating too fast, and he almost thought that all it wanted to do right then and there was beat at her command.

Then, when they both looked at Antonio, he was huffing, "Fine. A chance." He said, a small smile tugged at his lips.

"And just so you know… Francis never asked me for this."

* * *

_Eliza, huh?_

Gilbert ended up staying for supper, and after Alicia had cleared up the table, she was on the porch outside, looking up at the stars. She knew she could never match up to Eliza – the country of Hungary. She was just… Aragon. Sure, in her younger years, she set up Spain to be one of the best countries in the world, and yes, she made sure the other regions had their best foot forward… But that was a long time ago. Things have changed, and now, she would sit with the others, re-learning what they've previously known, but in new light. She could top her class, but nothing would change.

She would still be a region.

As she sighed out into the autumn air, she didn't hear the front door open and shut, "Stars?"

Gilbert went up to stand next to her. She didn't look at him, but she replied, "They keep me company."

"I could do that too." He said earnestly, and it made her amber eyes turn to him.

He was so genuine, and his intentions were so pure. She didn't know what to do, "Gil…" she said softly, "I… I understand, you know, if you still like Eliza. You can take your time."

At first, the Prussian looked at her. Then, he chuckled, "Have you been thinking of that all this time?" She didn't answer, and Gilbert grinned, "I don't really like Eliza anymore."

"You were jealous that she was with your brother." She pointed out.

It was his turn to sigh, "That was because she used to be one of my closest friends." He looked down at his feet, "And when she agreed to marry my brother, she distanced herself from me, and anything we used to do together. I don't love her. I just miss her." He looked at Alicia this time, "I don't want to miss you. I… I kinda want to be with you all the time."

She chuckled at his words, "We can't do that, Gil."

He pouted playfully, "Don't you want to be with me too?"

She wanted to say yes. She wanted to admit that the Prussian had reignited a flame that she thought would never be set ablaze again. She wanted to just take him into her arms. But she only laughed and looked up at the sky, "It's a crazy, wonderful idea."

But he was braver that she was. So, he wrapped his arms around her from behind, and she froze.

"I don't know if I'm doing this right." He admitted, his head buried in her shoulders, "Tell me. Tell me what to do, Alicia. Tell me if I'm doing something wrong. I want to get to know you. I want to know the person who looks at the stars, and why your brother is so protective of you. I want to know the person who works for Arthur. Will you let me?"

His little speech almost made her cry. When she pulled away, he looked hurt, but then she threw her arms around him, and she could see the shock in his crimson eyes.

"I will… But maybe, not tonight."

She could feel the albino's hands wrapped around her once more. "All right."

But he was so warm. She almost didn't want to let go. She wanted more, and she knew that no amount of blankets would give her the feeling he was giving her. She knew it was just an embrace – but she also knew that it was so much more than that.

Once they pulled away, he was looking into her eyes, and she was staring into his.

"I, um…"

"I think I should go." Gilbert said with finality.

She nodded, "Yes, right… Okay."

"Hey." He grinned at her again, a hand giving her nose a little tap, "I'm going to see you tomorrow."

She giggled a bit, cheeks flushing but nodding again, "Yes, I know."

"I'll come see you before first period, okay?" He said. And without waiting for her response, he kissed her cheek, then ran down the porch steps.

Alicia didn't know how long she was rooted on the spot, touching her cheek as though she had fallen in love for the first time.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** I miss writing so much that I'm posting every other night. I hope this story doesn't burn down like the rest. Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter Three**

The next morning was filled with hope, and the idea of seeing Gilbert Beilschmidt lingered in the early autumn air.

It was typical for Alicia to wake up before her brother, so she had left breakfast for him as usual before dragging herself to school. It was a pretty chilly morning, she noted, as she shut the door behind her, and she made a mental reminder to pick up her sweater from the Student Council room before she headed in for homeroom. _What about Gilbert's jacket?_ She thought to herself. She had always been fascinated with the red hoodie that the Prussian wore everywhere. She was always the first person who would deny upon deliberations if he needed to be sanctioned for not wearing the proper clothes, and she would usually be backed-up by her brother (which usually ends the discussion for Arthur, who never wanted to get on the Spaniard's bad side). She mused about it as she walked through the empty halls: was it lined on the inside? Fleece, maybe? It looked so soft to touch. It almost represented the albino himself – attention-grabbing, but not really as brazen as it seems.

Alicia reached her locker and entered her code, _0816_. She pulled her door open, then looked up at the clock that hovered across her. It ticked 6:47.

6:50.

The Germanics always arrived at exactly 6:50.

She wasn't sure if Ludwig was the one who instigated it, but the Germanic brothers usually arrived at that exact time, and almost always, all together. During football season, Ludwig and Gilbert would come in earlier, being in school for drills by 6:30, enough to have a quick shower by 7:05, in time for homeroom at 7:20. They only disappeared for twelve days in October, all returning to Germany for a celebration, and would usually return to school sick, dazed, or constantly in the Hospital Wing. Alicia experienced being a volunteer with them as the patients.

_Three minutes._

Her heart skipped a beat. What was going on? It wasn't like she's never seen the Prussian before.

She grabbed her algebra book and, quite annoyed, shoved her reading material into backpack. "What the hell am I doing?" she muttered to herself.

There were giggles, and footsteps, and she knew that they had started to come in:

Roderich had his head behind the morning paper, and students were making sure they quite avoided him at all costs. Before he reached Alicia's locker, Eliza had joined him, and the Hungarian immediately caught his attention. Next was their Bavarian brother, who was built very much like Gilbert, but with his sandy-brown hair and light brown eyes. He was drinking a cup of coffee, but headed straight down to the school vending machine – probably to pick up a Danish or a loaf. When Ludwig arrived, Gilbert was right at his shoulders, and Alicia almost _swooned_. The morning light behind him made him look ethereal.

She was barely in their line of sight when Ludwig adjusted his glasses, then turned to his older brother, "Look, she's already here."

Gilbert squinted, then grinned, and ran down the hall to her, leaving Alicia stunned again and rooted to the spot. She wasn't really used to the attention, "Good morning, sunshine!" he greeted enthusiastically, coming up to her, "Sleep well last night?"

She nodded for a moment, before she smiled, "Yeah, I did." She seemed to be lost in the crimson colours of his eyes, "I, uh… How-how about you?"

He didn't seem to think she was behaving oddly, "Slept fine. I couldn't wait to see you today, though." He said.

"Oh?" she asked, almost as though she hadn't been anticipating the moment when she could see him again as well, "Why? Are we doing anything special?" she asked.

"Not really," he admitted, "But you're the one who's special."

She couldn't help it anymore, and she nudged him in the sides, making him laugh at her meager attempt to hurt him, "Stop it~" she said, lacking the usual bite to her words.

"Why? Do you need me to tell you again that your beau-"

Alicia slammed her locker shut before he could even finish, "Just… Come on." She was frustrated, but her cheeks were burning red.

Gilbert looked pleased.

* * *

She used her own keys to open the Student Council room, and Gilbert raised an eyebrow at her, "Isn't it too early for you to be catching me for anything?"

"I'm not doing that, I need something." She said, going straight for the storage cabinets, "It's been chilly. I know I left a sweater here somewhere…" She opened one, two… She couldn't find any of her sweaters. The last cabinet was locked, and only Arthur had the key. She sighed, "Damn it, I don't know who cleaned up here yesterday."

"It should be okay," Gilbert was taking off the red jacket, "Here, why don't you borrow mine?" he asked.

And he held out the red hoodie for her.

For a long time, she blinked at it. Then, "W-Wait, don't you need it?" she asked.

"I keep my blue uniform in my locker. I have a black one too, you don't have to worry." He smiled a bit.

"But this is, like, your signature look," she said, and he chuckled a bit, making Alicia roll her eyes, "Gil, I'm serious. I don't want to take this away from you, maybe you can lend me the black one instead or something."

"No, wear it." He insisted, draping it over her shoulders now, "If you say it's my signature look, then good. It means people will know just where you got it, and will know just not to mess with you so easily."

"Well… Okay." She said, still sounding a little worried as she pushed her arms into the jacket. She wasn't disappointed. It was very warm, and soft on the inside. She knew why Gilbert liked it so much, "I can give it back by lunch."

"Nah, keep it with you." He flopped himself down in the lounge, "You don't need to give it back just yet."

She looked at him, "Why not?"

He smirked at her, "Don't you know that dogs mark their territory?"

"Yeah. By peeing on them." She stuck her tongue out at him.

Gilbert laughed, "You're really not good at taking compliments, are you?"

She sat on the other side of the sofa, and the Prussian watched her carefully, "I… I'm just being careful. I feel like I walk on eggshells after the last risk I took."

All of a sudden, though, the Prussian's head was on her lap, and she flushed crimson, "G-Gil, what are you-?"

"Shh." He said, turning to face her, "I really couldn't sleep last night, thinking about how we'll see each other today. Just… Just give me a few minutes."

Alicia looked at the clock in the room. It ticked 7:12.

When she looked back down, the Prussian had his eyes close. His skin, so pale and white, was smooth. She wanted to touch him. His hair was white right down to the roots, and was scattered across his forehead. She gently brushed it away from his face and she noticed it was like silk. Even his eyelashes were white. And while she was gently caressing his head, the albino began to smile.

* * *

"It is… unforgivable!"

"Relax. He's asleep. She's asleep. It's not like they used the office to-"

"Alicia has never been missing from homeroom before! He takes interest in her and-"

Gilbert groaned: so he really did fall asleep, eh?

A gentle hand upon his head made him realize he wasn't the only one. He opened his eyes and found himself resting upon the Aragonese woman's lap, one hand was upon his fluff of short white hair, the other against his chest, feeling the movement of his breathing as rose and fell. There was a short silence, but the Prussian was sure he heard something. And then, "… I know you're awake, ruffian. Get up."

He moaned softly, making the other occupant of the sofa stir. When he stood up, he first glanced at the clock. It was 7:45. They had enough time to make it to their first class. Did they really sleep that long?

"What the hell were you doing, bringing Alicia in here?" He was surprised that the first person who questioned him was not the Student Council President, Arthur Kirkland, but one of his best friends, the Vice-President, Francis Bonnefoy. "If Antonio finds out-"

"Take a chill pill, Franny," he yawned, and turned away from his friend to look at the slowly waking girl, "Antonio's fine." He neared her, making the Frenchman huff, but glare at them. Gilbert decided he didn't want to know the real reason. But the moment Alicia's eyes began to open, the Prussian grinned, "Hey sleeping beauty, we need to get to class."

She rubbed her eyes for a moment, blinked, until her eyes widened in horror, "_Dios mio,_ we missed homeroom!" she looked around frantically, "W-What… What time is it?"

Gilbert could only laugh at her, "It's seven forty-five," he replied, "We have about fifteen minutes 'til algebra."

She looked at him, frowning, "Now I need to make up some excuse about why I didn't show up for homeroom."

"You don't," he said, "Just say you were late."

"Don't make her lie like that, she isn't you, Gil." Francis made his presence known, and Alicia seemed to have been taken aback, "You should go get your things, _mon cher_." He added, looking at her more softly now.

"It's okay, I've got what I need." Alicia said to him, almost decidingly.

Francis looked at Gilbert as though he was the reason why Alicia wasn't paying any attention to him. If that were the case, Gilbert fully accepted it: He liked being the center of Alicia's attention (well, he liked someone paying attention to him in general, but having it be Alicia was definitely much better than if it was just someone).

After what seemed like centuries of silence, Arthur decided to clear his throat, "Well if you two are done using the room as a bunk, we'd like to use it for more official duties while we still have free period."

"O-Oh, right. Sorry, Arthur." Alicia looked at the Prussian, "Come on, let's grab our bags."

Gilbert seemed unfazed, "Can you come pass by my locker first? I need to pick up my uniform."

Both Francis and Arthur stared long and hard at him. When he stood up, that was the only time they realized that the bright, red hoodie that the Prussian was so known for wearing was now snugly around the smaller frames of Alicia, who had already gotten up and picked up her bag from the meeting table.

"Alicia, my dear," Arthur began slowly, "Are you quite sure what your wearing doesn't belong to the confiscation cabinet?"

She looked at him, then at Gilbert, then back at the Englishman, "No." Her voice was firm, "I rather like it. It's a bit chilly out. It's not really harming anybody."

"You're starting to sound like Antonio." Francis commented.

He didn't know why, but Gilbert felt the need to tease his friend, so he looked over at Francis with a grin, "She's his _sister_."

* * *

It was enough exchange for Alicia to note that she had to bring the Prussian out.

Given, she knew that she barely really knew what was going on. It was only a day since Gilbert asked her to walk home with him, and even that wasn't really much to go on (_"It's nothing to go on!" _Clara had hissed behind her binder, her green eyes narrowing at what little information Alicia had shared with her). She was in no rush, that was for sure. But she wanted Gilbert not to rush too. But he was a little excitable, a little too enthusiastic, and she was still scared about what can happen. He had agreed to everything she said, that they didn't have to be sitting together all the time, and that they didn't need to go everywhere together, and that they needed to stop looking at each other in class – which they both did all too often. She was also able to do all of that, except the last, because _she just couldn't._ Regardless of it being her idea, she just couldn't keep her eyes off him.

… And so to make sure she wouldn't, she decided to have lunch with Lovino.

Sitting with Lovino during lunchtime meant being away from the cafeteria and the general populace. The South Italian was notoriously known for being a potty-mouth, and an obnoxious headache wherever he went, and so both he and Alicia decided to hide the soft, the caring, and the more timid side of him where nobody can see it.

"Do you think the fucking idiot is serious about you?" Lovino asked as he bit into his panini, looking at Alicia his eyes that matched hers. He'd noticed the hoodie – in fact, anyone would.

The sky above the rooftop they sat on began to darken as clouds covered up the sun. She was grateful for the red hoodie as a cold wind brushed against them. She shrugged, poking at her fries, "I… I want to say yes." She admitted. It was something she would only tell Lovino.

He swallowed his food, took a swig of lemon tea, then looked at her, "Look," he started, "I've known that moron for a couple hundred years. He also knows I'm not as extreme as people think I am. I'm not afraid of how he's going to treat you – he may be an asshole, but he knows how to properly treat a woman. What I'm afraid of, to be honest, is the fact that he might be projecting his feelings on to you, and that when he realizes this isn't what he really wanted…" He trailed off.

She looked confused for a moment, taking a few fries and dipping them in her melted cheese, "What do you mean?"

"Gilbert spent most of his life fixated on one girl." Alicia nodded in agreement here, "You and Eliza have a lot of similarities, but also a lot of differences. I'm worried that once he realizes that those differences set you two apart, he might not be as charming as he usually is. Or," he said, now thinking up another, "I don't want to be right, since I know he most probably didn't, but he might also just have taken advantage of the whole idea of the fall."

Alicia had absolutely no idea what he meant. It was evident on her face.

Lovino sighed, "Well… It's much easier to fall in love with someone, knowing they've already fallen for you."

* * *

She refused to believe it.

She wasn't in love with Gilbert Beilschmidt. Hell, she barely even knew the guy (okay, not true, but it wasn't her fault he can barely recall what they did together). But she definitely was _not_ in love with him.

"Hey, stop biting your pen. We're supposed to be studying." The albino in question broke her out of her stance by lightly nudging her as they sat in a library table with Clara and Francis.

Her sister narrowed her eyes, and Alicia went back to her reading material:

_Doubt thou the stars are fire,_

_Doubt that the sun doth move,_

_Doubt truth to be a liar,_

_But never doubt I love_.

She firmly shut the book and drew a deep breath. Gilbert was starting to get worried, "Hey. Do you need some help?"

"No," she shook her head, "I'm just… Overwhelmed with things to think about, I guess." The planner that sat beside her was gleaming in color-coded schedules, practically laying out every to-do list from her homework, projects, club activities, down to her chores within the Student Council room.

"I'm starting to think you're overworked," the Prussian said, still looking seriously at her, "Maybe you should take a break."

"Oh, she's fine," Francis said exasperatedly, "She's handled much worse than this, Gil, trust me."

At his words, Alicia seemed more irked. She didn't know if it was wanting to annoy the Frenchman for what he said, or she simply wanted to just take a step back, but she eventually said, "You know what, maybe that's a good idea." She looked at the albino, who seemed pleased, though still worried, at her answer, "I think I'll take about fifteen minutes off."

"That's good." He smiled at her, "Will you just nap it off?"

"Hmm…" She thought about it, "The cafeteria sells smoothies. Do you want to get one with me?"

And so, ignoring the glares from Clara's green eyes, and Francis' attempts to say that they could all go instead to no avail, Gilbert simply stood and joined her to go to the cafeteria for a quick drink.

They walked back to the library with the smoothies, knowing it'll be finished by the time they get there. Alicia was busy sipping on her coffee-chip smoothie when Gilbert spoke, "I want to formally court you."

She almost choked on a chocolate chip, "W-What?"

"I know you heard me. I'm not saying it again." He stopped walking and turned to her, "Alicia, I've decided. I want to formally court you. Antonio said yes."

Her jaw dropped, "Y-You…" she stuttered, "W-Wait… When did you ask him?"

"Before we went to the library, inside the Student Council Room," he said, smiling a bit, "They were meeting with the club presidents, and I was supposed to attend too, but I went there just for that and then came over to study with you."

"Gil, that's not-"

"Hey, I'm still technically in class. And we're just in the library for research purposes." He grinned at her, "Look, I want you to know that I'm serious. I've put a lot of thought about it, that's why I couldn't sleep last night."

"Gilbert," she said softly, almost as though his name was porcelain, "You barely know me."

"You know, you keep saying that, but you've never said that you don't know me." He pointed out. She kept silent. So, he took his hand in hers once again, the same, innocent way he had taken it just the day before. He took her hand gently, with his sword-calloused ones, holding it like it was the key to the earth's secrets, "I'll wait until you can tell me. I'll wait until you want to tell me everything. I'll wait until you open up for me, and until then, I just want you to know that I'm here. And after asking your brother, I want to ask your permission first. Will…" he drew a deep breath, "Will you allow me to formally court you?"

Alicia didn't make it back to the library.

* * *

**A/N:** If there are any followers out there, would you like to guess why?


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

Gilbert spent the entire night texting Alicia, apologizing if he had rushed things, and if it overwhelmed her. She spent the same amount of time, telling him that even though it was a little faster than what she was used to, it wasn't his fault, and that wasn't the reason.

"_I can't… I can't be the reason you'll break your friendship with Francis._"

He thought about it as he walked to school with Ludwig the next day.

_Did Alicia really still think about Francis after all?_ Could that be why his best friend had been casting dirty looks at him but saying nothing? Was it why Alicia first cried her eyes out when they first encountered each other face to face in the Hospital Wing? He had brought over her things from the library the previous night, but it was Lovino who refused to let him in.

"She needs time." The Italian had said.

He didn't know what it was for. And it was almost as though Alicia didn't want to be the one to tell him about it. He wanted to punch the lockers again, both in annoyance and in an attempt just to see her, but he realized he didn't want to put her through something difficult. Ludwig didn't speak a word, but he knew that something had happened between his brother and the Spanish girl. That was when they both noticed that Clara was missing her sister once she stepped into the school. Gilbert's heart fell.

When Clara saw him, she wore a more determined expression, "She isn't coming to school today."

"I think I figured as much when I saw you alone." He said, sighing.

Clara didn't seem convinced, but her emerald eyes were softer than they once were. Gilbert thought that, perhaps, she shared very similar attributes to her sister after all, "It's not you." She said quickly, "In fact, my sister doesn't just doesn't want you to get hurt."

"Yeah?" he asked, "That's really not what's happening now."

She rolled her eyes, "She's just scared. I thought she already told you?" a brilliantly curated eyebrow raised, "From what she's told me, she told you enough."

The Prussian thought it through.

And then, he pieced things together enough and he ran straight towards the Student Council Room.

* * *

Francis was in the room with Antonio and Arthur when the Prussian burst into the room.

"All right, Francis, tell me everything you did and I swear I will promise to _try _not to punch you in the face."

At first, the Frenchman looked at him innocently, but he eventually sighed, "Okay, fine, I copied your History homework, but it's not like we haven't done that-"

"What did you do to Alicia?"

Gilbert was doing everything in his power to stay calm. He didn't know Alicia that much, it was true. But he wanted to know more. He could only do that if he had all the right pieces to what had happened to her in the past: the past that _she spent with Francis_. He hoped it wasn't much. But if it was enough to keep her from coming to school just so that he wouldn't see her, then it was certainly something big. Antonio and Arthur turned their eyes to Francis, who looked at the Prussian.

Eventually, Francis sighed, "You would know if you had been listening to me."

"What are you going on about?" he demanded. This time, Antonio spoke.

"The girlfriend he talked about last fall," the Spaniard began to explain, "Do you remember her?"

"Yeah," Gilbert said, "The one he kept courting over and over, the one you never commented about. He used to bring big bouquets of roses to school for it… He even kept saying he didn't need to do that if it were Jeanne-" to this, both Arthur and Francis cringed, "… Are you telling me…?"

There was a long pause.

Then, Francis nodded.

"You ass-!" But Arthur immediately pushed the Prussian back, shaking his head.

"Let him finish, lad." The Englishman said.

"It's my fault, I admit it!" Francis said exasperatedly, "She confessed to me. She kept spending extra time with me, and I realized that it would be nice to have someone who loved me too, for a change. So I courted her. Antonio was always against it." (_"Of course I would be."_ Antonio said, but Arthur sent him a glare and he kept quiet.) So, Francis continued, "She always seemed flustered. I could feel the warmth and the love emanating from her. But, whenever I saw her, I saw traces of Jeanne and sometimes they blurred.

"I loved Alicia. And I loved Jeanne. And I knew I couldn't have loved both the same way." He ran a hand through his blond hair, "She was also the one to tell me that I had to choose. I told her that if she loved me, she wouldn't make me choose. And she said… That if I really did love her, there shouldn't be an option."

Gilbert closed his eyes.

Now, he understood where she was coming from.

He had loved Eliza for majority of his life.

Before him, Francis had loved Jeanne.

She was being compared.

_Her fear was that he would see his past love instead of her_.

"You're a ridiculous asshole, I don't understand how you're my friend." Gilbert finally said, "You chose Jeanne over her?" he asked, making Francis cringe, "You chose someone who has died instead of the living, breathing, beautiful person who walks this earth?"

Antonio raised an eyebrow at the description of his sister but said nothing.

"I already said I was sorry," Francis started to say, but Gilbert shook his head.

"Sorry doesn't cut it, you idiot." He said bluntly, "If you really were, you'd do something, _you'd change. _You'd put in an effort to show her what she really means to you. Are you kidding me right now?" He demanded.

This time, Francis stayed quiet, and Gilbert ran a hand through his hair.

"And yet, now, you still hang around her, haranguing her for what?" he asked, "A second chance?"

"She is too kind." Francis said softly, "She gave it to me…" He trailed off, then looked at the Prussian, "But she said, this time, I had to earn it. I don't think I'll get it anymore, though."

"What the hell are you talking about now?" Gilbert asked, his temper getting the better of him.

"Who was it that interrupted a meeting and waltzed in here to ask for my blessing?" Antonio raised an eyebrow, arms crossing against his chest.

Gilbert blinked, "Me?" he asked, "You're saying she really _does_ like me?"

Francis frowned, "You know, for someone who lectured me on what to do with a woman, you sure are dense when it comes to a woman's feelings."

"That's coming from you?" Gilbert demanded, "You who completely ignored the woman who loves you, and now you're all sulking about it because someone else is taking an interest in who she actually is rather than the similarities she share with a former flame?"

"I already admitted that it was my fault!" Francis' voice grew a little louder, and it shocked Arthur. He was always so level-headed, "You don't know how it feels to not be loved by the person you love!" But even Francis was surprised at his choice of words that he looked like he wanted to take it back the moment he said it.

It was the last words he wanted to hear from his best friend. Gilbert looked at Francis, slightly hurt, but also angry beyond all reason. He wanted to punch the Frenchman in the face, but he was in the Student Council Room. Plus, there were more things to worry about. So, he simply turned around.

"Listen to what you said again. I hope you regret it."

And after that, he left and slammed the door shut behind him.

* * *

She honestly didn't want to say no.

It was past noon, and Alicia hadn't even left the bed. She sat there, hugging her knees, wondering about whether or not it was right for her to have pushed the Prussian away.

Of course, she really wanted what he was offering – it had never been done for her before.

She wanted to be courted.

She wanted to be respected.

She wanted to be _wanted_.

And as odd as it was how they suddenly got along, she harboured very strong feelings towards Gilbert. Whether she liked it or not, though, she was still absolutely terrified: because if Francis wasn't able to stick with her, and Jeanne was a person who was now dead, what more Gilbert, when the past object of his affection was still a living, breathing, and dazzlingly beautiful Hungarian?

Her phone buzzed. She ignored it.

It was cliché, now that she thought about it. She didn't like the entire idea of everything going around the love story of two people. She had homework, club activities, and not to mention a deadline for the submission of funds for the Student Council. But it was only two days ago that the Prussian started to bang against the walls she built up so high. For an entire year, she vowed to never let anyone through until she could control the part of her that had been in so much pain.

But Gilbert made her smile.

He made her laugh.

He made her heart beat.

He reminded her of how nice it felt to be loved back.

Her phone buzzed again, and this time, she got annoyed.

She was sure it would be Clara, frustrated, about how she could stay home because of some boy. Or Francis, trying to woo her back (and failing) with the charms he had already lost. She sighed, then picked it up, only to have it ring in her hands.

Alicia paled a little.

Gilbert's face appeared on the caller ID, and it continued to ring in her hands until she closed her eyes, drew a deep breath and clicked the green button, "… Hello?"

"_It's okay._" Gilbert said to her in a soft whisper, panting.

"What?" She demanded, brows furrowed.

"_I don't want you to worry anymore. It's going to be okay, I promise._" He repeated, _"I talked to Francis. I know what you're scared about, but please. Trust me."_

"You two really are friends." She said with a soft, bitter, chuckle, "You know… Francis said the same thing too."

"_You know, you keep fearing being compared, but aren't you doing the same thing with me and him? I'm not Francis."_ Alicia's heart skipped a beat, _"I'm not going to court you without any intentions of being with you. I know you aren't Eliza. I like you because of who you are, because of your amber eyes, your freckles, and the way you lick your lips before you answer." _He chuckled softly, _"And I really don't want to force you into something you don't want, but I wouldn't want to know that the only reason you refuse is because someone else didn't treat you right before._

"_I want you to know that I will."_

Tears were brimming in her eyes, "Gilbert… I know." She said, finally, "I'm just… I'm scared. What do you want me to do? This fear is eating me up. I don't want you to say yes to me now, then decide later on that it wasn't what you wanted. I want to run to you so badly… But right now, where do I go?" She asked.

"_Hm…_" He sounded tired, _"How about… You try the window?" _

"What?"

"_Open it. I hope I got the right one."_

Alicia ran out of bed to pull open her drapes, and the pale face of Gilbert Beilschmidt greeted her. He knocked three times, then spoke into the phone, _"May I come in?"_

Even with tears in her eyes, she nodded, opened the windows, and once he had both feet in her room, she locked her arms around him, "Gil… I'm so sorry…"

"Shh." He kept his smartphone, then held her quietly, "I know. I understand. I forgive you." He said, kissing the top of her head, "Don't worry, love. I'm scared too."

"You are?" she asked, pulling away to look up at him.

"Well… Yeah." He said, almost matter-of-factly, "Have you seen the way your brother glares at me?"

She laughed a little, and it pleased him to see her smile again, "He's over-protective."

He drew her close, "So am I." He said with a small growl, "If anyone ever sets their eyes on you, or asks for your number, tell them to answer to me first."

Alicia checked to see if he was joking. She laughed a little to find him serious, "You don't have to be like that~"

"I'm serious." His brows furrowed, "I don't want you to look at any other man. Tell me I'm enough for you."

"Oh Gil~" she chuckled and ran a hand through the Prussian's hair, making him smile, "You're more than what I've always wanted."

"Good." He kissed her forehead tenderly, making her blush. He had never been that bold before. "Now… What did you eat for lunch?"

She looked shyly at him, "… I haven't even had breakfast yet."

"What?" he frowned, "What have you been doing all morning?"

"I-"

"Doesn't matter," He took her hand, but this time, entwined their fingers, making Alicia flush, "I'll make you some food. Anything you want. You name it."

She was still too flustered to even just open her mouth.

* * *

He made her some baked potatoes and sausages, and she returned the favour by making milkshakes. She told him to go back to school, and he refused. So instead, Alicia found herself dragging him back up into her room.

At first, he disagreed: and he was such a gentleman about it too. However, Alicia looked at him warmly, and it seemed that he realized what it was – that the innocence between them had never left, that the only thing they've ever wanted of each other was the company, and that no matter where they were, they would be side-by-side. They would be together.

And so he no longer felt like an intruder, when she pulled him into her room, and she flopped onto the bed. He looked around. It seemed she didn't like pink. Her room was in lilac hues, with some yellow accents, and a few of her things were red. The hoodie she had borrowed was hanging neatly on the knobs of her closet, and she had a sofa right next to the smaller window in the room.

"Hey, come here~" she said, patting the space of the bed right next to her.

He gulped. He could almost hear Antonio yelling for the eradication of his existence.

But Alicia smiled warmly, chuckling at him, "What? I'm not going to bite."

His affinity for her got the better of him, and so Gilbert shook the thoughts off and sat next to her. She took his hand tenderly, looking at his palms. "Hm~ Your life is so interesting."

"Oh?" he asked, "You read palms?"

She nodded, "Aragon used to be pagan lands before Catholicism got to us." She explain, tracing her delicate fingers against the lines in his hand. "Your life line," she said, tracing the inner line of his left hand, from above his thumb to his wrist. "Your love-line," she pointed at the middle line, "And this one is your career." She traced the last line, from his pointer finger down to the side of his hands.

"Are you going to read my destiny?" He teased, and Alicia laughed.

"Only if you want me to," she said shyly. This time, he could notice that she was turning red. He was rather pleased that he was getting that sort of effect on her.

And that was when he realized it.

"Alicia." Instead of agreeing, he instead took her hand, and held it firmly in his, "This will sound terrible and cliché, but you don't need to do that. My destiny is right here, in your hands." He said, "Just please… Please let me be with you. Please let me hold your hand more. Give me the chance to know you. I want to be able to give you what will make you happy."

She teared up a bit, despite chuckling, "But Gil… You already make me happy."

"Don't say that, or I might ask you to marry me." He teased.

"Don't try, or I might say yes." She said, laughing a bit.

However, he shook his head, "… You should rethink that." He said rather seriously again, "Marriage is a very important thing." He was sensitive to marriage. She realized she hit a chord, but she gave his hand a squeeze. To that, Gilbert turned to her.

"Gilbert," she said his name carefully, "I'd be honored if you would court me."

Light seemed to return to the Prussian's eyes, and before either of them realized it, Gilbert had thrown himself at her in an attempted embrace, and they both landed against the Aragonese girl's mattress and pillows, "Ack! Gil!"

"I'm so happy…" He said, leaning against his arm to find her beneath him, "Alicia, you make me so happy. I feel like my heart will burst. What am I supposed to do?"

She playfully shoved him, and he landed against the mattress, with Alicia against his chest now, "I don't really know." She said, tracing circles against his chest.

"But maybe you should just give your heart to me?"

* * *

Antonio came home that afternoon with Lovino at his side to find supper ready, but Alicia nowhere in sight. When they peeked into her room, she found the Prussian in her bed, reading glasses on and devouring a copy of Dante's Inferno, with Alicia resting against his chest, peacefully snoozing.

If Antonio wanted to punch the albino in the face, Lovino had been enough to deter it.

* * *

**A/N**: I think these two are the cutest couple ever. Anyway, more surprises! And guess who would be dating Francis?


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

When the fall turned into winter, all the nations returned back to their own hometowns to celebrate and be with family for the Christmas season. This meant, for Alicia and Gilbert, a longer commute to each other's houses instead of the usual walk, holding each other's hand (they were the talk of the school, but Alicia chose to ignore them, and Gilbert didn't think it was important). Overall, Antonio was rather pleased. After he found out that his sister had also agreed to formally be courted (_"People really don't do that anymore, do they, sorella?_" Lovino had asked.), the Spaniard had been more supportive of the blossoming relationship between his sister and his friend. He had even been willing to forgive finding the Prussian in her bed once, waiting for her to arrive home during one of the particularly hectic days of the Student Council (and when Antonio found that Gilbert didn't have a key, but simply used the windows, he made sure to hand one personally to the Prussian the next time they were in class together).

But for Gilbert, it seemed, there was nothing worse than being love-sick.

"Brother… You've been staring at your phone for the last ten minutes." Ludwig pointed out, placing a cup of black coffee in front of the Prussian.

"She said she'd call as soon as she woke up." Gilbert said, taking the cup, "It's almost eight-thirty. She's usually up by now."

Ludwig rolled his eyes, "It's a weekend. It's term break. And she's Spanish." He added, "Don't you know how valuable sleep is to the Romantics?"

The Prussian pouted, "Fine. It's not like I can't wait. I'll make some breakfast." He said, not mentioning the fact that the only reason why Ludwig knew was the very reason why a sweet, slumbering Italian was still in the German's room.

He made pancakes, waffles, bacon and eggs, and by the time Veneziano had joined them, Gilbert's phone began to buzz.

_Good morning~_

His eyes lit up and he couldn't help but reply.

**Good morning, beautiful. Do you want me to call you?**

It took a few seconds longer, before he got:

_Give me a few minutes. I'm not feeling so well :(_

His heart sank: Alicia wasn't feeling so well?

"Luddy." The German raised an eyebrow, "Could you put on the news? I'm worried."

Ludwig shrugged, but stood to turn on the television, which they could see from where they sat. The Prussian sat back down and used it as background noise, before he heard the reporter say:

"_And as of right now, snow is piling up in the borders of France and Spain, specifically down the Pyrenees region, where it is confirmed that a growing number of people are stuck in the immigration office, waiting to get across to the other side…"_

"A storm?" he asked.

Veneziano smiled a little. "We don't get much snow there. If we do get a lot, it's usually something we're not used to handling." The Italian said, "I go to _sorella's _house very often too."

Before he said anything else about Alicia, Gilbert raised an eyebrow, "… Veneziano, are you spending Christmas Eve with us?"

"Is there a problem?" The German was the one to reply, even before the Italian opened his mouth.

Gilbert only laughed in reply, "So defensive."

But he wasn't able to continue his conversation because his phone began to buzz. Looking at the caller ID, the German decided to tease his brother, "You should pick it up before you get even more love-sick."

The Prussian scoffed, then picked up the phone, "Hello, my dear?" he asked, "Are… Are you all right?"

"_I can't get out of bed…"_ Alicia's voice sounded tired, and she sniffled a little, _"Lovino came in to check on me a little while ago. He's spending Christmas here. He said my fever was really high. He went to make me some soup."_

Hearing her situation broke his heart a little. How bad was it that she was sick during the Christmas season? "Aw, Alicia~" he said softly, "You should rest more. Christmas Eve is tomorrow." He reminded her.

"_I know~" _she sniffled again,_ "I just don't know if I'll be okay by then. I wanted to go on a video conference with you, too~"_

He chuckled, "My dear, right now, the top priority is getting you back into tip-top shape." He said, "If you can't do that with me, I can always go and see you~"

To that statement, the German dropped his cutlery.

"_Gil~" _She said, half-whining and half-chuckling, "_You should spend Christmas with your family and loved ones."_

"And you aren't part of that?" He asked with a small chuckle. Ludwig looked like he wanted to murder someone, but kept silent.

He was almost sure Alicia was pouting, _"Gil. Spend Christmas Eve there. Luddy needs you. I'll spend mine here with my brother."_ She began, _"And if you really want to see me, you can come over on Christmas day, okay? I can't promise that I can dote on you, though."_

The Prussian was beaming from ear to ear.

* * *

Lovino sighed as he finished some dishes for Christmas dinner.

He was used to dinner with _Spagna_, especially for Christmas Eve. But he wasn't used to having the house full, with Alicia (who was running a fever that could cook the main course), Clara, and surprisingly, Francis. Clara usually spent it in Barcelona, but upon news that Alicia had come down with a fever, she ran down to Madrid immediately. Francis, who usually spent it with Matthieu, decided to spice things up and have the Canadian see him for the New Year's Party, which was Gilbert's turn to host that year. More people, of course, meant more food. And more food usually meant more work for him.

He groaned.

In a house full of Romantics… He was still the one cooking.

"Last I checked, I wasn't a henchman anymore." He muttered, and across him, making empanadas with a flour-covered apron, Antonio hummed.

"Hm?" the oblivious Spaniard asked, "What did you say, Lovi?"

"Nothing," grumbled the Italian. However, he sighed, "The mushroom soup that _sorella_ wants is almost done. Have you got any pepper?"

"Still in the same cupboard, I think," Antonio replied, "If not, Clara moved it when she made omelette."

The Southern Italian's brows furrowed: Clara had been entertaining the Frenchman the entire afternoon. Of course, he had already suspected that Francis had that effect on people. But this time, he was almost certain that it was because Clara had an affinity for him – a hidden desire that she hasn't yet verbalized.

"Clara!"

Lovino awoke from his stance when Antonio called the girl in question. She ran into the kitchen with a raised eyebrow, "… _Hermano_?"

"Since you and Francis seem to be catching on, can you make coffee for everyone?" he asked of her, "I'm sure Alicia would like some too."

Clara agreed. Soon, the scent of medium-roasted coffee filled the air. Lovino was setting up a tray with soup, bread and butter as well as a cup of warm coffee and a glass of water when Antonio added a small bar of dark chocolate.

"It makes everyone happy." He said brightly.

The Italian wanted to hit him on the head because she was sick, not sad. But… He knew that since the Prussian wasn't around to motivate her, they might as well try that. And when Lovino came into the room, the Aragonese woman had one weak hand around her mobile phone, and her eyes were closed. She had probably fallen asleep after talking to Gilbert.

"_Sorella…_" Lovino said, setting down the tray before gently tapping her.

She moaned, "Lovi, _hijo_, is that you?"

"Yeah." Lovino smiled gratefully. She had always been the first one to acknowledge him, hence, he never left her, "Hungry? I got you some soup to warm you up."

"Thanks." She tried to sit up, but Lovino held her.

"Careful… No need to rush." He said, stacking pillows behind her, "You should just focus on getting better."

She pouted, "I want to be okay for Christmas dinner." She said.

"No," Lovino said with a small, knowing chuckle, "You just want to be okay enough so you can talk to Gil non-stop this break. Am I right?"

Alicia flushed but didn't answer. Lovino was almost sure it wasn't because of the fever.

* * *

Much to her dismay, however, Alicia was in bed for most of the morning of the twenty-fourth, which meant that chances were slim of her being up and about for Christmas Eve. So, frantic as he was, Gilbert was firm in his decision.

"I'm going to come see you tomorrow." He said as he tossed in ingredients for German Chocolate Cake.

"_No. You don't have to." _Alicia insisted, _"I can see you on New Year's, when I'm completely better. We're having that on your place this year, won't we?"_

"You're no fun~" The Prussian teased, "Look, I'm not asking for your permission. I'm going to see you tomorrow. I'm going to take care of you. And, on top of that, I will bring you the most amazing cake in the world."

"_What?"_

"German Chocolate Cake, of course!" he said proudly, almost boasting, "Besides, other than Lovino, you'd probably need help getting better. Who else would take care of you?"

"_Well, my brother and sister are here too, you know." _She said, almost matter-of-factly, making the albino chuckle, _"And aside from Lovino, Francis is here as well, so—"_

With that, all Gilbert could see was red.

"What?" This time, it was his turn to ask.

"_Uh… Lovino and Francis are here?"_ she said, almost as though she didn't see anything wrong.

The Prussian sighed, "Alicia… I, uh…" He paused his baking and leaned against the counter, "Can I… I mean… I want to ask you something."

She was quiet for a while, _"… Yeah? What is it?_"

"Is Francis there for you?" He asked. He was scared of what she would answer.

"_Does it bother you?" _She asked. To be honest, he wasn't sure. He wanted to trust Alicia. He knew that she had an affinity for him. But sometimes, even he needed assurance. And when he didn't reply, she continued, _"… Francis sometimes spends holidays here. I don't think it's because of me. He and Antonio have spent holidays together before._"

"I see." Gilbert wasn't sure if he sounded relieved, "Alicia… I just don't want you to get hurt. Right now, I'm going to be selfish, but… I don't want you to look at anyone else. I want to make you happy."

For the longest time, she was so quiet that he thought she had fallen asleep. Then, he heard her giggling. It became so loud that he got confused: he was honest, right?

"_Gil~"_ Alicia finally said, _"What in the world are you being so serious about? Don't you know already?_

"_Right now… There is nobody else for me except you._"

* * *

Alicia was so sick the night of Christmas Eve that she was upset she had to miss _La Misa de Gallo_. She was, after all, still fond of following tradition. Once it was time for the dinner, however, Lovino made sure to bring her downstairs, just so that she could eat with them. Antonio insisted on a traditional, _Pavo Trufado de Navidad_, although Clara had brought in some seafood from her own coasts to be made that night. Francis brought a few bottles of wine, and after everyone helped wash up, Antonio helped the Aragonese woman back to bed.

She did not forget to greet Gilbert a "Merry Christmas".

However, Clara felt responsible for doing what Alicia would usually do – she wiped the counters clean, and was about to turn off the lights in every room downstairs when she saw that Francis had put on a movie in the living room.

The Catalan woman sighed: they were going to be alone again. This time, she didn't know if she should present herself.

Clara had to admit – it was true. She had fancied the Frenchman far longer than she thought it was ever possible. She was the Frenchman's campaign manager when he ran for Student Council (not that he needed it), and he spent a lot of time planning with her right before he won. He was vibrant, witty, but also kind. She felt his concern through their late nights and early mornings, and she almost didn't believe that Francis was the same person who flirted with anything that breathed. She saw such amazing talents in him, and incredible potential. She was terrified and heartbroken when Alicia had developed a romantic relationship with him, and so she never spoke about her feelings, even to her sister (especially her sister). After all, Francis never seemed to see her, nor see beyond her snarky replies, her snaps, her contorted brows and her sighs of disappointment. She was content with watching him from afar. But she'd also admit to hating that the Frenchman had hurt her sister.

It got her so confused. She wanted to hate him so badly.

But she liked him so much.

And it was Christmas – it was the season of giving, and the season of truth.

So, whipping up some hot chocolate, she went into the living room and handed a cup for the Frenchman, who was under a blanket, "Mind if I join you?" She asked him, sitting beside him with a cup for herself.

"No, please, sit," Francis smiled gratefully and took the warm cup, "This is one of my favorite Hollywood movies."

She looked at what was playing and it was indeed familiar. If she was correct, it was _10 Things I hate about You._ They were more than half-way into the movie, and she could notice a prom-scene going on.

"Heath Ledger?" she asked.

He nodded, "Yes. Quite a handsome young lad, and he was talented."

They were quiet for a few minutes before Francis said, "I came here to spend my last Christmas with your sister." He said, "I don't want to be hung up on her anymore. I'm sure you're aware that her relationship with Gilbert is blossoming and…" He looked over at the Catalan woman, "In all honesty, I think she deserves happiness."

There was a sense of sadness and longing in the way he said it, which made Clara gather up some courage, "You… You deserve it too."

Francis looked at her in shock, "Happiness?"

"Yeah." She agreed. She was hoping he could miss the redness in her cheeks. It would be too dark to notice.

"I thought you'd hate me for hurting your sister." He said with a small chuckle.

"Well, I'm certainly not happy," Clara snapped, "But… I don't think I can ever hate you…"

"You don't…?" he asked slowly.

Clara sighed. She was never really good at things like that – she never expressed herself well. She wished she was better at speaking about her feelings, but she wasn't. She glanced back at the glaring television, and she noticed that a very important scene was about to come up. When she opened her mouth to speak, she said every word that the main character in the movie said:

"_I hate the way you talk to me_

_And the way you cut your hair_

_I hate the way you drive my car_

_I hate it when you stare_

_I hate your big dumb combat boots_

_And the way you read my mind_

_I hate you so much that it makes me sick_

_It even makes me rhyme_

_I hate the way you're always right_

_I hate it when you lie_

_I hate it when you make me laugh_

_Even worse when you make me cry_

_I hate the way you're not around_

_And the fact that you didn't call_

_But mostly I hate the way I don't hate you_

_Not even close, not even a little bit, not even at all."_

She was flushing by the end of the poem, and all Francis could do was stare at her in awe. She looked at him slowly, and she said softly, "I… I can't hate you." She repeated under her breath.

Francis' expression softened, before he smiled sadly, "I'd rather you just hate me." He said.

She was appalled, "H-How can you say that? I just practically told you how I feel about you from the bottom of my heart!" She said, but he shook his head.

"D-Don't get mad, Clara," he said softly, scratching the back of his head, "It's just… I don't want you to love someone like me. I… I feel like anyone I love, or anyone who loves me, just ends up getting hurt. They get hurt, even if I don't want them to be. And I… I don't want to hurt you."

Her heart raced, "F-Francis… If you keep doing that, you'll be lonely."

He smiled a little, "But you'll be safe."

"No," she was the one to shake her head this time, "I want to take your hand. You shouldn't be lonely. You're such an amazing person."

He looked at her incredulously, "… I am?"

"Francis… Have you tasted the food you make? And your wine?" she asked, "Have you seen how you pacify people, and how understanding you are? Francis… You're such a wonderful person, please don't lock yourself in like that."

"C-Clara…" He breathed out, "I… I don't know if I'm ready yet. I don't want to hurt you."

She paused, "If… If that's your only problem, I can wait."

He offered his hand, and she looked at it as though it had disease.

"For now," Francis said, "Can… Can I… I mean, will you… Will you at least let me hold your hand?" he asked.

She smiled a bit, then took his hand. He gently held it, and brought it to his chest. He didn't intertwine their fingers, but held on to it tightly as though it was the only thing that was warm that night.

"Thank you… Thank you for saying that you like me." Francis said, smiling now. Clara could feel that he was the person she knew him to be once more.

"Merry Christmas, Francis." She said, sitting closer to him.

"Merry Christmas, Clara."

* * *

When she woke up the next morning, Alicia felt more refreshed than anything. She still felt dizzy, and weak, but she was parched. So she went downstairs to fetch herself a glass of water. She almost dropped the glass when she found Clara in Francis' arms, asleep against his chest, on their sofa. She didn't want to tell Antonio, because she was sure that Antonio had enough friends he wanted to secretly kill for dating his sisters.

But when the Spaniard came inside from the back door of the house with a cigarette still in his mouth, half-lit, she was sure that Antonio already knew.

* * *

**A/N:** I'm pretty glad about how this is turning up. This has mixed pairings, so if there are any requests, I'll see what I can do! Thank you so much, and just to add, no I've not proofread from the third chapter up until this, but the story will be updated once I do have the time to, so... Stay tuned!


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